Small SUVs Flunk Safety Tests

Several popular models perform poorly

Many of the popular compact SUVs did terribly in a new set of crash tests.

The tests — performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — included the new “small overlap” frontal crash test, CNN reports. In the new test, vehicles hit a barrier at 40 mph with one-quarter of the front bumper, just in front of the driver’s seat.

However, not all small SUVs did poorly. The Subaru Forrester and the Mitsubishi (OTC:MSBHY) Outlander Sport both performed well on the new test.

The new test measures how well vehicles protect their passengers when the impact is such that the vehicle is spun during the accident. During these sorts of collisions, passengers can rotate out of the zone normally protected by existing safety frames or airbags. Between 25% and 50% of serious injuries in front crashes are caused by these sorts of collisions.